When you hear the word summer, what comes to mind? Endless days
at the beach? Pool parties, matinees, trips to the mall? OK. Back
to reality. What about earning some extra cash?

Sure, you could get a job working somewhere for the summer.
Let's run down the list of possibilities. The local movie
theater is looking for ticket-takers. The ice cream parlor downtown
is looking for servers. And the grocery store on the corner is
looking for baggers.

Doesn't sound like quite your cup of tea? What about a job
where you could set your own hours, do something you love and make
money doing it? Sound too good to be true? It isn't. Check out
the summer businesses that these teens are cashing in on.

Next Step

Summer business ideas are all around you.
Check out YoungBiz.com to get your
idea juices flowing.

Have Fun in the
Sun
Lots of teens may dream about getting paid to spend the lazy days
of summer floating around on a pontoon boat, but Natalie Peace will
actually be doing it. Peace, a 19-year-old sophomore at Michigan
State University in East Lansing, Michigan, will spend this summer
running a floating concession stand on a popular lake in Southeast
Michigan.

She spent last summer working as a filing clerk in the medical
records office of a local hospital. While that job earned her some
valuable experience as well as some cash for college, Peace thinks
running her own business will give her a different kind of
experience. "I think running my own business will not only be
an alternative way to make money, but I'll also gain experience
in the business world as I learn about starting a business,"
she said.

Though Peace's daily work selling hot dogs, chips, ice
cream, pop and bottled water on the lake won't start until the
summer boating season officially kicks off Memorial Day Weekend,
she's already busy getting her ducks in a row.

With the help of her aunt and uncle, whose house on the lake
will be Peace's home base, Peace has been busy registering her
business's name with the county and obtaining a sales tax
license. She must also take a food safety class from the county
health department in order to obtain a business license.

Once she returns from college in early May, she'll begin
publicizing her business to the local lake population. While Peace
admits there are a lot of steps to take before selling that first
hot dog, she thinks it will be worth it. This summer, she says,
making money and having fun in the sun will be one and the
same.

Party On!
Believe it or not, Kiera Kramer, 20, came up with her business idea
by watching her parents party. "They would invite people to
dinner who they really wanted to talk to, but they'd never get
a chance to visit because they were too busy cooking and
cleaning," Kramer says. "I just thought there'd be a
good market for someone who would come in, serve food and clean up
the mess."

Together with her close friend, Jaclyn Van Bourgondien, 20,
Kramer started Parties Perfect, a party service business in
Southold, New York. Start-up costs were minimal--the partners spent
$96 for business cards, thank-you notes and white blouses with
"Parties Perfect" embroidered on them. They spread the
word and gave their business cards to equipment rental companies
and caterers for potential referrals. Their first break came when a
friend's parents hired them to work at a dinner party.

Talk of Parties Perfect's professionalism, reliability and
convenient services spread rapidly after the first job. They are
now booked about three weekends a month.

Kramer says being your own boss is as awesome as it sounds.
"It's definitely better than working for someone
else," she says. "You don't have to answer to people.
You get to hire employees. It's a good experience, plus the
money is a lot better."

Grow Money at
Home
Blair Sheridan Barber doesn't mind getting up a little early in
the summer--when there's money involved, that is. In fact, for
the past few summers, this Phoenix, Maryland, teen has been up at
the crack of dawn most days, tending his garden and selling
homegrown tomatoes with a sign in his front yard advertising
Blair's Tomatoes.

Barber, 18, starts working on his summer business in May, which
is when he plants the tomatoes. By June, he's up every morning
by 7 a.m. to water the garden, pick the ripe tomatoes and set up
his stand.

On most days, Blair's Tomatoes opens around 8 a.m. and
closes at dusk. Because his stand is located in a convenient,
high-traffic area where many people travel to and from work, he
attracts plenty of repeat customers.

Like many 'treps, Barber ran his business only during the
months of June, July and August. Not only was it a good time for
growing tomatoes, but it was also a good time for him since it
didn't interfere with school.

Have you ever wondered if you have what it takes to be an
entrepreneur? A summer business could be the perfect trial run. Why
not give it a go?